Better Than A Travel Guide

Disney Cruise Line: Eastern Caribbean Cruise on the Disney Magic

2012-02-23T18:08:00.000-05:00

A fantastic getaway, even for couples sans kiddos, is the Disney Cruise Line 7 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise. With three days at sea during your cruise and three ports of call, it's a great balance of time on board to enjoy all the ship itself has to offer as well as enjoying the best of the Caribbean.

We opted for a higher end room, on the Disney Magic stateroom level 5C - a standard size room on deck 5 with a veranda. The room was tight compared to a hotel room, but we didn't spend a ton of time in the room anyway. The veranda was our favorite area of the room. Of the time we spent in the room, more than half of the time was spent out there. We had room service deliver breakfast one morning and the attendant placed the tray right out on the veranda for us.

The other beauty of this room was the split bathrooms. I could be showering and getting ready for the day while in the other bathroom, you could use the toilet, brush your teeth, do your hair, etc. while the two bathrooms were small, having the two rooms and a sink in each room made getting ready in the morning a breeze!

On 7-night cruises, there is a formal night. On the Disney Cruise Line website it says the attire for the night, "formal wear for men: tuxedo or suit; for women: gown or dress." However, the degrees of formal for the evening is as varied as the people on the cruise. We did a formal cocktail dress and shirt and tie (above). Others did full suits, some women packed ball gowns and went to the on board salon to get their hair done. There is also a semi formal night where we did a similar style and some people wore less formal attire than that.

I also want to give some space to the onboard Vista Spa. The spa area is another adults only area on the ship and on the Magic the doors near the spa lead outdoors to the Quiet Cove pool, the adults only pool. We thoroughly enjoyed the Rainforest Room, which we purchased entrance to on the days we were at sea. Sauna rooms ranging from hot to cool as well as very unique lounge chairs that heat up. This room is incredibly relaxing (so much so that people would fall asleep in those lounge chairs!). This is definitely a must-do for adults who want to relax but don't really want to spend the big bucks on massages and facials on board.

Kennedy Space Center

2012-02-22T17:12:00.000-05:00

The Kennedy Space Center has always been a family destination to learn about the wonders of space travel. Now it's even more so. Since the NASA Shuttle Program has ended, the Kennedy Space Center has opened the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to visitors as part of a special tour.

The VAB is a massive building where the shuttles are built and repaired before launching into space. You can see this building from miles around because of its sheer size.

When we visited, the shuttle Endeavor was on display inside the VAB, waiting for alterations before it becomes a permanent fixture as part of the Kennedy Space Center display. The shuttles will be on display in Cape Canaveral, FL; at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York; and the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

Also at the Kennedy Space Center, you can see the Rocket garden, which are rockets (all real) that were previously used by NASA. Some of which you can sit in and experience what it would be like to be an astronaut. There's an IMAX film on space exploration, visit a launch pad, and more.

Tip A Few Tavern

2012-02-21T16:12:00.000-05:00

cheeseburger with potato salad

cheeseburger with onion rings

If we hadn't already had plans to stop here for dinner, there would have been no doubt that we would have driven right past Tip A Few Tavern and not have had another thought about the place.

With a small sign along the road and the building darker in the front compared to its neighbors, Tip A Few is definitely a hidden gem on Florida's Space Coast.

We both ordered cheeseburgers, as that is what the place is best known for. They were juicy, perfectly cooked, had the right amount of cheese on them, and served with lettuce and tomato; ketchup, steak sauce, Tabasco, and a few other sauces were available on the table, and our waitress brought me mayonnaise as well.

I ordered the potato salad as my side, which was done perfectly - I could have ordered an entire plate of just that and been happy. My lovely dining partner ordered the onion rings, which were crispy and onions were plentiful (not just breading).

There are tables for diners, or you can choose to sit at the bar, which is fully stocked with beers both commercial and a few locals, and liquors.

The restaurant is smoking friendly. We were sitting next to a couple who smoked, and near the bar, and other then when we walked directly past the couple, we didn't notice it (and I am very sensitive to cigarette smoke). The restaurant has a good ventilation system, keeps ceiling fans running and on a nice night, such as when we went, had the front door open.

The meal was incredibly satisfying and for two of us, totaled under $30. However, they are cash only, so come prepared. There is an ATM in the restaurant, just in case.

Courtyard Cocoa Beach Cape Canaveral

2012-02-20T16:11:00.000-05:00

The Courtyard Cocoa Beach Cape Canaveral hotel is an ideal hotel for anyone looking to take a cruise from Port Canaveral and in need of a hotel the night before. The hotel is located only 5 minutes from the port terminals, which gives you easy access to your ship. In addition, they have "Park and Cruise" packages that will allow you to park your car there and they'll have a shuttle take you to the port. Pretty convenient!

The hotel itself has a very modern feel to it with a spacious lobby and breakfast area, which doubles as a bar at night with some food options as well. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. We found the rooms to be very clean and spacious enough for our needs. The beds were comfortable and a great way to start a trip before your cruise. In addition, it is very close to plenty of shopping and dining.

We definitely plan on returning to this hotel for our next cruise leaving out of Port Canaveral.

Philadelphia Center City Restaurant Week

2012-01-17T16:30:00.001-05:00

The Philadelphia Center City Restaurant Week returns January 22 to 27 and January 29 to February 3, 2012 featuring over 100 of Center City's best restaurants offering multiple course meals for $20 to $35.

Click here to see the full list of participating restaurants. Restaurants with an * are offering a pre-fixe lunch for $20 as part of restaurant week.

Philly's finest are represented, with participants including Amada, Le-Bec-Fin, Max Brenner, and Zahav, to name a few.

Ambler Restaurant Week Begins Jan. 16

2012-01-10T16:30:00.000-05:00

Ambler held it's first ever Restaurant Week in July. The success of the event led Ambler Main Street to plan a second event, scheduled for January 16 through 22 with nearly 20 restaurants in and around Ambler participating and more joining every day.

Restaurants will offer pre-fixe menus throughout the week and some will offer drink pairings at an additional cost.

Restaurants participating in the week include Bridgets Steakhouse ($29), Massa ($35), and Trax ($35) among others.

For more information on January Restaurant Week, click here.

Photo Gallery: 2012 Mummers Parade

2012-01-03T16:30:00.000-05:00

New Year's Day in Philadelphia is exciting! Between stilt walkers and jugglars at the Kimmel Center and the hustle and bustle of families and couples enjoying time together, oh, and that little parade, the annual Mummers Parade!

Best Places to Watch the 112th Annual Mummers Parade

2011-12-14T16:30:00.003-05:00

January 1 will be the start of the New Year, and the annual Mummer’s Parade up Broad St. in Philadelphia.

The parade, which begins at 10 a.m., begins in South Philadelphia and ends at the Philadelphia City Hall, with approximately 8 hours of parading between.

The city is suggesting that spectators leave their cars behind and use SEPTA regional rail and buses to get into the city (although if you get there early enough, there is plenty of parking).

If you plan on watching the parade from the sidewalk along Broad St., plan on getting to the parade route early and be sure to set up near a drill location, where the String Bands and Fancy Brigades stop to perform.

According to VisitPhilly.com, these spots are at the intersection of Broad and: City Hall, Sansom, Pine, Washington, Ritner and Shunk.

If there is no space there, a second option is to watch from a staging area. VisitPhilly.com says those are: Broad Street and Washington Avenue for the Comics at 10 a.m., Broad and Moore Streets for Fancies at 10:30 a.m., and Broad Street and Oregon Avenue for String Bands at 11 a.m.

However, Fancy Brigades (the most iconic looking of the Mummers) only get as far as Washington Ave. and then head to the convention center, where they put on two ticketed Broadway-style performances in the afternoon – one at noon and one at 5 p.m.

Of course, the best place to watch the show is from the judging stands at City Hall, but tickets for these seats must be reserved in advance from the Independence Visitors Center. (This is also where you can purchase tickets for the Fancies shows at the convention center.)

So make a day of it, enjoy the parade and all the city has to offer, and start a new family New Year’s Day tradition.

Zappos Tour

2011-12-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

Love Zappos? Yup, can’t beat free shipping and great deals, right? Well, if you’re visiting Las Vegas and have some time to spare, schedule yourself a tour of Zappos. Currently located in Henderson, the company has purchased the old Las Vegas city hall building and has plans to move in there in the near future.

The tour takes you around the company’s main headquarters and shows you that the company’s culture of fun isn’t just something they talk about, but something they live every day.

As tour groups approach different areas of the company, such as couture of teens, the employees have different ways of welcoming you, from jingle bells, to cow bells, clappers and more.

They also have a throne room, with tiaras, crowns and even a Zappos scepter with a banner above that reads, “I am royalty and part of the Zappos family” where you can stop and take pictures.

Water, popcorn, and sodas are all complimentary during the tour. We also received a copy of the CEO’s book, "Delivering Happiness" and the 2010 Culture Book as gifts for taking the tour.

While you’re waiting for your tour to begin, register your name and e-mail address and a 20% off coupon for Zappos will be e-mailed to you.

Ethel M Chocolates

2011-12-12T17:00:00.004-05:00

In Henderson, NV, just off the 215, is Ethel M Chocolates, which offers a free, self-guided chocolate making tour and a free botanical cactus garden.

Chocolate makers work Monday through Friday, except on holidays, making fantastic chocolate confections. As you walk through the factory, signs guide your eyes to show you what you are seeing and signs around the windows and behind you tell you more about making chocolate, about Ethel M chocolates and the history of chocolate.

The best part, at the end of the tour, there is a free sample of their milk, dark, or white chocolate awaiting you. (I tried their dark chocolate, which is very dark. I’m accustomed to Hershey’s Special Dark, and this was much, much darker dark chocolate.)

The tour leads you into their store where you can purchase candy, confectioneries, truffles, and all sorts of items made with, coated in and filled with chocolates.

Next door there is also an M&M’s World store for the kiddos who may not have the sophisticated taste buds for Ethel M Chocolates.

Before you leave, make sure to take a stroll through the botanical cactus garden, with all sorts of cacti, more species than most people know exist. It’s beautifully sculpted and the walking path leads you through the garden.

During the holiday months, the gardens are covered in lights and at night light up for a “prickly” holiday adventure. Santa is also there to greet the little ones.

Ferraro's

2011-12-11T17:00:00.004-05:00

Food and dining options are plentiful in Las Vegas, especially on The Strip. However, sometimes it’s nice to walk away and enjoy the (relatively) quiet serenity of the city and get away from the bleary-eyed casino-goers.

Ferraro’s, on Paradise Rd., is just a short drive or a two mile walk from Las Vegas Blvd. and offers some of the finest service and cuisine I have ever experienced.

The restaurant has a standard menu and seasonal specials. They also appreciate the locals who come in. During the summer months, show a local ID and be treated to buy one, get one entrees. From September to June, on Friday and Saturday nights, locals enjoy 50 percent off the standard menu.

Portions are a nice size, without being huge, but you don’t leave hungry, either.

I ordered the penne fiorentina, penne pasta in a red sauce with spinach chicken and garlic. It was good, but definitely needed something, I would have added either roasted pine nuts for a crunch or kalamata olives for a zing. The garlic was whole cloves, beautifully roasted, melted on your tongue like butter and not at all bitter.

The table also ordered vitello saltimbocca, which had a nice, thick slice of prosciutto topped with a perfectly thick layer of mozzarella and melted until the cheese was gooey and the prosciutto was crisp on the edges.

We also ordered salmon, which was perfectly moist and flaky, and a nice size portion. As well as lasagna, which is a perfectly composed standard and beautifully plated.

Ferraro’s, a family owned restaurant, is located at 4480 Paradise Rd., just across from the Hard Rock Hotel.

Wolfgang Puck's Spago

2011-12-10T17:00:00.005-05:00

Spago, a Wolfgang Puck Restaurant at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, is two great dining options in one, if you know that they both exist, that is.

If you book tickets through Tix 4 Tonight, you can get a dining voucher for a percentage off your meal at Spago, which is what we did. When we made the reservation at Tix 4 Tonight, we looked at the menu for this restaurant and saw it was an Italian restaurant and were looking forward to the seasonal butternut squash ravioli.

When we got to the restaurant, the hostess asked us if we wanted to sit on their patio, which faces into the walkway of the Forum Shops for Caesars, or in the quieter dining room. The four in our party didn’t have a preference, and the hostess sat us in the more formal, quieter, dining room.

However, when we were handed menus, they looked nothing like what we had seen earlier in the day when we made reservations. There wasn’t your typical Italian dishes and the prices were much higher – and no butternut squash ravioli. We shrugged it off and ordered anyway.

After ordering, we saw a waiter deliver sandwiches to a table behind us. We looked at each other, knowing there were no sandwiches on the menu we had ordered from. We asked our waiter what was up.

Here’s the scoop: the patio is more informal dining and has an Italian menu and lower prices. The dining room is a more standard restaurant with steaks, chops, seafood, and higher prices.

You can, however, ask for the patio menu in the dining room and vice versa, if you know there is a difference.

That said, I ordered the pork weinerschnitzel, which was served with potatoes, tomatoes, and marinated cucumbers. The schnitzel was amazing, and a huge portion, but I probably could have eaten the entire plate, it was so good. However, my palate got distracted by the marinated cucumbers, which were to die for, I couldn’t stop eating them.

The table also ordered a filet, which was served with marrow. The diner who order the steak had never had marrow before and was skeptical to try it (and wasn’t going to eat it at all). However, the executive chef came over and gave him a lesson on eating marrow and the steak, which he said was very good and perfectly cooked.

The table also ordered the butternut squash ravioli, which was a nice size portion without being huge, and the sea scallops, which were cooked perfectly and had delicious foam on them.

Overall, our meal was excellent as we'd definitely recommend this restaurant to others.

Name That Tune

2011-12-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

Based on the hit, vintage TV show, Name That Tune, at the Imperial Palace, tests the audience’s knowledge of music from classics up through today.

Hosted by Vegas favorites, Zowie Bowie and Marley Taylor, fifty audience members are guaranteed to get called on stage for a chance to win $10,000.

Seating for Name That Tune is general admission and doors open 30 minutes before the show begins. When you get to the show, be sure to sign the waiver and get a nametag so you can be called up on stage to play Name That Tune!

They call 10 audience members for the first five rounds to get their finalists. The first two people in each round to name two songs correctly move on to the next round.

If you are called on stage and don’t move on, don’t worry, there’s still a prize for you! We won two tickets to see Human Nature, a tribute show to Doo Wop music, and two tickets to come back and see Name That Tune again. (Not a bad consolation prize if you ask me.)

The show was a lot of fun, with families and groups that weren’t on stage battling each other to see who could name that tune fastest.

It also plays at 4 p.m. (there are other show times, as well), and runs for approximately 90 minutes, so you can still make reservations for dinnertime and catch a 10 p.m. show (and maybe even a happy hour).

I will mention here, all of the casinos on the strip have free parking, including the Imperial Palace. I would NOT recommend parking at the Imperial Palace. The lot is small, its hard to find a space, the lanes are very tight, and it’s a little confusing to find your way back to your car after the show or dinner. Park at the Flamingo, which is next door, and walk along Las Vegas Blvd. to the Imperial Palace and save yourself the hassle.

Absinthe

2011-12-08T17:00:00.000-05:00

We walked into Absinthe, playing at Caesars, not knowing what to expect. When we asked what the show was about at the Tix 4 Tonight counter, the woman told us if we were OK with some nudity with pasties and some crude language, we would enjoy the show.

Absinthe was playing in an outdoor tent in a stone courtyard at Caesars. While the tent had heat and bar service, it did not have bathrooms, a critical component when show-goers are drinking heavily.

Tickets were also general admission, which I am generally all right with. However, because the floor is flat, the front rows are a much better seat if you want to see what is going on on stage. That, or there are bar tables behind the very last row of regular seats that are part of general admission that sit a little higher.

That said, most of the show is aerial, and not much happens on stage.

Absinthe is a cross between variety show and Cirque du Soleil. It features many talented acrobats, intermittent with comedy acts, making it for an enjoyable experience all around.

My personal favorite act (**spoiler alert!**) was the final act by the “body guards.” They were very impressive and stunning.

However, two warnings, the front row is “balls row.” Be prepared to be part of the show if you sit here. And by part of the show, I mean picked on, balls in your face, on stage, making out with a man.

Second, as the woman from Tix 4 Tonight told us, if you are not OK with partial nudity (seriously, its done with pasties and a little side boob) and some very crude language, this show is not for you (try Love by Cirque, instead.)

Pumi

2011-12-07T17:00:00.002-05:00

While visiting Las Vegas, seven of us, six adults and one two year old, went out for Chinese at Pumi in Henderson, NV, about a 20 minute drive from the Strip.

When we walked in, the music was very loud. We could barely hear each other speak from one end of the long table to the other. We asked the waitress to turn the music down, and after the waitress asked the bartender twice and we asked again, the music was finally turned down to a level where guests could speak to each other without yelling.

Our waitress took our order quickly, a dynasty dinner for two, as well as four more entrees, soup for six, crispy noodles, white rice – the standard Chinese meal for a family of seven.

Soup was brought out in a timely manner, with the waitress letting us know the kitchen was making fresh wonton soup for those of us that had ordered it.

About 45 minutes after ordering our meals, the waitress brought out two buckets, one with white rice and one with brown rice. Ten minutes after that, we began to ask where our meals were.

The kitchen was handling the influx of take out orders over the meals for the in house diners. After sitting for over an hour at Pumi, our food was not cooked yet and we were told it would be “just a few more minutes.”

No manager was on staff at the restaurant for us to speak to about the issue.

We walked out. Six adults, one toddler, 2 dynasty dinners, 4 entrees – walked out.

That’s Pumi, 239 N Pecos Rd. Henderson, NV, and online at www.pumioriental.net.

Hampton Inn Alexandria

2011-12-06T17:00:00.001-05:00

Hotel options are numerous in the Washington, D.C. area, and with that, the value, price range and location varies greatly. You can spend a lot of money to stay within walking distance of all of the historic sites of DC, which is very valid for a lot of people and spend money parking at those hotels every day. Or, you can find a great value right outside of DC such as the Hampton Inn of Alexandria, VA on Leesburg Pike.

For just under $100/night (less than half of what you'd pay in downtown DC), you'll get a clean hotel with very friendly service. They also offer a great breakfast with your stay each morning. The one thing that might prevent people from staying here is the fact you'd then have to drive into DC each day, but the commute only takes 10 minutes and finding parking in DC is actually not that difficult as there are free lots by the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and free on-street parking on Sundays.

We'd definitely recommend this hotel to anyone visiting the DC area and we'll definitely be back next time we're in the area.

Ford's Theatre

2011-12-05T17:00:00.000-05:00

Think back to your American History classes. If you think about it for a little bit, the name Ford's Theatre should ring a bell. This was the location where President Lincoln was shot on April 14, 1865. Visitors can take a tour of the building, which begins with a large room on the history of President Lincoln, as well as his assassinator, John Wilkes Booth.

On the entry way into the theatre itself, you see on opposite walls what the day was like for both Lincoln and Booth leading up to the actual shooting. This is done in a very ominous way to help make the visitor feel more immersed in the history.

You'll finally end up in the theatre where you can see the balcony where Lincoln was shot, as seen below. Unfortunately, you can't go on the balcony itself, but seeing it still gives you a great look into one of the most important spots in American history.

The times that tours are available are always varying, depending on what is going on at the theatre that day. It is highly recommended before your visit to go to the theatre's site at www.fordstheatre.org and determine if you can visit on your planned day. In addition, you can pre-purchase your ticket with an assigned timeslot. If you just show up to the theatre, you may find your self out of luck as they limit how many people can attend each day.

Touring the US Capitol Building

2011-12-04T17:00:00.000-05:00

There are two tours in DC you need to schedule, and you definitely need to do. One, the White House, you have to schedule through your Congressman. The other, the US Capitol Building, you can book online or pick up tickets at the Capitol.

The best plan for touring the Capitol is to book in advance online for free and then pick up your tickets at will call. If you wait to get tickets at the Capitol, you might run into a problem that they might run out of tickets or not have tickets until a later time in the day.

Expect to go through some security to get into the Capitol. You also cannot bring food or drink into the building. However, there is a pretty nice food court that serves fresh pastas, sandwiches, wraps, salads and more.

The tour takes visitors through the main arteries of the Capitol, into the rotunda and into the former room for the Senate, called the whisper room.

If you visit the Capitol on the weekends or when Congress isn’t in session, visitors cannot visit the Senate and House floors. However, if you go while Congress is in session, visitors can sit in on debates, votes, and discussions of Congress.

Old Post Office Pavilion

2011-12-03T17:00:00.000-05:00

For a fantastic view of DC, take the free elevator ride up to the top of the Old Post Office Pavilion. The building and the elevator ride are part of the National Parks Association. So it’s completely free to visitors.

There is also a food court and a few gift shops on the lower level.

Be aware of the times the bells rings, because it can be very loud at the top of the tower during these times. They are marked at the entrance to the ride up, but watch your time at the top.

There are two stops on the ride to the top. One will take you right to the top of the tower, the other will stop at the bells. The bells, which have a thorough description at the base of the tower, have been dedicated to Congresses of the US.

Also, be aware that when entering the building, you are subject to having yourself and any bags you carry searched by security officers and a metal detector.

Fro-Zen-Yo

2011-12-02T17:00:00.003-05:00

I realize there are other frozen yogurt places like this around the country, but I thought the concept was so cool, that I had to share!

In Washington, DC, we tried, and thoroughly enjoyed Fro-Zen-Yo, a do-it/build-it yourself frozen yogurt shop. With approximately 16 (maybe more?) different flavors of frozen yogurt to choose from (sugar free, fat free, gluten free, vegan, etc all present), diners grabbed a cup (one size serves all) and chose the flavor or flavors of froyo and the amount that they wanted.

Next step is the toppings. With everything from fruits and nuts, to candies and cookies (and even cherries for on top), you can load up your frozen yogurt however you want to create your perfect sundae.

Take it to the register to get weighed in and pay up.

Next stop is chocolate syrup and caramel sauce, both hot and both free! Thank goodness, because we piled it on high!

Grab a chair, a spot at the bar, or on a nice day, take it for a walk and enjoy!

Also, don't forget to grab a bottle of water for only 29 cents!

Finemondo

2011-12-01T17:00:00.001-05:00

Without a flashy sign like its neighbors, Finemondo could get lost in the sea of neon. But definitely make it a priority dining location when visiting DC.

We felt a little underdressed, dressed for a day of sightseeing in the city, wearing a nice top and jeans for both of us. We were seated around couples out on date night, hitting the town in suits, dresses, heels, and loafers. However, as we browsed the tables, we saw a variety from heels and cocktail dresses, to jeans and sweatshirts.

Our meals were delicious. We ordered the butternut squash ravioli, perfectly prepared in a delicate buttery sauce, and pork tenderloin, cooked with a crispy outer and juicy, moist, melt in your mouth inside that made you keep coming back for more.

We also had great service, with our waiter on call as we needed him, but not being pushy or bugging us too much.

When we left, we were so happy we found Finemondo, and recommend it to everyone.

International Spy Museum

2011-11-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

What kid doesn’t grow up wanting to be a spy? Okay, maybe not a spy, but at playing one at some point, or thinking about it, or wondering what it would be like to live a life in the shadows.

The International Spy Museum thrusts you into the world of spies, with interactive displays that teach you how to be a spy. You can even crawl through the museum’s air conditioning ducts, just for the experience.

Learn what to look for as a spy – mysterious people in windows, people carrying similar bags passing too closely to one another, people masked as someone else and more.

Once your training is complete, move on and learn about the history of spies in the US and abroad and how they helped win wars, where they are in the news business and more.

The museum also looks at spies in ancient history, such as the tradition of ninjas (yes, they are spies, not just people who can kick your butt) and the Trojan horse in ancient Greece.

This museum is a lot of fun for people of all ages. Children will love the interactive displays and the “spy school,” so will adults. It's also neat to learn the history of spies (honestly, I didn’t know ninjas were spies, did you?).

Newseum

2011-11-29T17:00:00.000-05:00

The Newseum might be my all time favorite museum, ever, but I might be biased. This museum needs a whole day, at least. Luckily, your tickets are good for two days!

Six floors (and three gift shops) and interactive and interesting exhibits ranging from the history of news making to what countries have the most freedom of the press, be a news anchor man, and so much more!

Every guidebook, pamphlet, video, tour guide, museum worker, and yes, even this blogger, will recommend you start on the bottom most floor with the introduction video. I know this sounds silly but with six floors of exhibits, you better know what you’re getting yourself into. Then take the elevator to the sixth floor and then work your way back down (seriously, don’t try it the other way, your only option then is stairs – phew!)

On the bottom floor there, around the corner from the intro video, are a few pieces of the Berlin Wall. Yup. The Berlin Wall. There is also a small piece that is on a pedestal that you can touch (the bigger wall segments are hands off).

On this floor is also the 4D show looking at the importance and growth of the news as well as the museum’s traveling exhibit.

My favorite exhibit was the history of the news. I know it sounds silly, but being in one room where you can see everything from a typewriter and old, old copies or newspapers to the “On Notice Board” from the Colbert Report, and everything in between was magical. (Yup, go ahead and say it, I’m a news dork.)

The other really neat exhibit, which I wasn’t expecting at all, was the radio antenna from atop the World Trade Center in New York. It was pulled from the rubble after the towers fell and brought to the museum.

The antenna itself will move you. The exhibit around it: much more so.

Around the antenna is a timeline of what happened and how it was being reported, with pictures. Many of them iconic (I hate that word in this case, but that’s what it is) have been shown over and over, but some of these haven’t been seen since that fateful day.

Tips for Seeing the DC Memorials and Monuments

2011-11-16T17:27:00.000-05:00

When visiting our nation's capital, there's lots to see and do that won't cost you any money. Memorials to great leaders of our country rise above the landscape to honor those who have dedicated their lives to serving our country.

However, a free afternoon of touring DC can be hindered by limited parking in the city or running back to the car to feed the meter.

A perfectly fun day can be had starting from the National Parks parking lots just south of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial (see map above), which has free, all day parking for visitors, and a perfect place to start your day.

Start by heading to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and then follow the path along the Tidal Basin to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (one of my favorite memorials), which follows along the Tidal Basin in a beautiful, serene memorial.

Follow the Tidal Basin up to Independence Ave. for the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, which is a beautiful, touching memorial. While we were visiting, we saw many visitors at this memorial crying or wiping away tears.

Across the street is the Korean War Veterans Memorial and then follow the path to the Lincoln Memorial. Following around the Reflecting Pool is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a touching memorial, that is very simplistic compared to others, but the items left in front of the memorial and letters, cards, photographs and more makes it one of the most touching memorials in DC (I think).

As you continue around the Reflecting Pool, you can walk along side it (when the path is open, it is currently under construction) or walk through Constitution Gardens. Both paths will connect you to the World War II Memorial.

From the WWII Memorial you can access the Washington Monument, which is currently closed since the recent August 2011 earthquake.

From here, if you're ready to head back, catch 15th Street SW, which winds around the Washington Monument and past the Holocaust Museum (which, I've been told is a very moving museum), and also has free admission.

Ta-da! An entirely free day in a city that has topped the 2011 list of "shopaholic" cities.

African American Museum in Philadelphia

2011-11-15T17:00:00.001-05:00

Only 2 blocks from the Independence Visitor's Center is the African American Museum in Philadelphia. This small, but unique museum allows visitors to learn about the history of African Americans in this country, but more specifically in the Philadelphia region. On the 2nd floor there is an exhibit where actors portraying various historical figures on video screens give you an idea about what life was like in their day. There is also a section that showcases art created by various African Americans.

Admission is $10/person, but it is free on the first weekend of each month with a Bank of America credit or debit card.

Second Bank of the United States

2011-11-14T17:00:00.000-05:00

The building of the Second Bank of the United States has a proper historical feel. However, it has been converted from being a bank into an art museum. The theme of the art is "People of Independence" and there are approximately 185 paintings in the building. While it wasn't anything special to me, depending on your taste in art and history, it might just appeal to you.

With free admission, you can't go wrong with giving the museum a shot when in Old City.

Liberty 360

2011-11-13T17:00:00.000-05:00

There's much to do in the historic Old City area of Philadelphia. The Liberty 360 show gives a unique, modern spin on this historical area. Located at the corner of Chestnut and 6th Street, you'll find an ample gift shop with an indoor 3D theater.

The host of the show is a virtual Ben Franklin who walks you through the history of Philadelphia and how it has affected Liberty in America. Each person gets a pair of 3D glasses to watch the show, which does add a little more depth to the show, but really doesn't add anything spectacular. The show is mostly standing room only, although there is a bench for anyone with physical disabilities (or if the theater is just empty besides you).

We'd recommend this show to most people, if only to get inside out of the cold (or heat in the summer).

The show is $7 admission, or only $5 if you make a purchase in the gift shop first.

National Liberty Museum

2011-11-12T16:30:00.003-05:00

An unassuming museum in Old City Philadelphia is the National Liberty Museum. While unassuming from the outside, inside it's beautiful. The museum explains liberty in many ways, one of methods is through glass work and glass sculptures.

As you head up the main staircase, the museum also has a memorial to those firemen and police that were killed during the 9/11 attacks in New York and DC. If you take the elevator, you'll miss this amazing memorial.

There is also a photo gallery of people who made a difference in peace and good will, many you will recognize, like Bill and Melinda Gates, and many you will not, but they all have amazing stories.

As you work your way through the museum, the second floor looks at violence in children, women, men, at home and more, through pictures, words, and glass. At the end of the exhibit, there are jellybean kids (see above and below), which shows children and everyone visiting, that even though we all look different on the outside, we're all the same, just like jelly beans.

Q BBQ and Tequila Bar

2011-11-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

There are lots and lots of dining options in Old City Philadelphia, but we found a delicious option on Chestnut Street, just past the original post office. Q BBQ and Tequila Bar serves burgers, BBQ and lots and lots of tequila.

We tried the pulled pork BBQ sandwich and the chicken quesadilla. The pulled pork sandwich was perfectly messy with the right amount of sauce. However, if you wanted more, there was a carousel of house sauces available to add. The pork was tender and delicious, melt in your mouth, with the perfect amount of "burnt" ends.

It's also served with their house made BBQ potato chips, which aren't fake BBQ-y and addicting.

The quesadilla had the right amount of heat, with juicy, tender chicken.

The restaurant serves tequila in many forms, including margaritas. We ordered an original, but they also serve some unique flavors like strawberry basil. The margarita was amazing, with just the right amount of tequila flavor to lime flavor, and paired well with the BBQ.

Check in on Foursquare twice for a free margarita with a $12 purchase (great deal!).

Hotel Omnia

2011-11-10T17:00:00.000-05:00

We only got to spend one night at the Hotel Omnia, but we definitely had a good experience. The hotel is located right off the Autostrada, making it very easy to get to, and has a good size parking lot, which eliminates some of the parking frustration you find in other parts of Italy.

The hotel is also located right near an outlet mall, which gives people staying here a shopping area to visit. It is also about 20 minutes from Treviso and 35 minutes from the Venice Airport.

The hotel was mostly clean, although we did find a "stink bug" in our room that we had to get rid of. The room is an average size with a small TV, but it is comfortable. There is also a bar in the lobby area with cheap alcohol for sale. We were able to get a good bottle of white wine for only 10 Euros.

Overall, we'd definitely recommend this hotel for a short stay.

Hotel Armando

2011-11-09T16:45:00.001-05:00

We spent 5 nights at the Hotel Armando, using it as our base to explore this part of Italy. The hotel is very modern looking on the inside, both in the rooms, as well as the public areas. Every portion of the hotel is clean, and they provide an excellent free breakfast each morning. The rooms are quite large for a European hotel, especially for the prices. We also found that the restaurant that is directly next door was an excellent choice.

The main issue we ran into here had to do with parking. On their site, as well as on 3rd party sites, they advertise free parking available. The parking though is street parking only and it is extremely limited. You're basically on your own to find it and the hotel will only give you a permit to put on your dashboard to allow you to park there. If you can't find a parking spot on the street near the hotel, you'll be forced to find a parking lot that you'll need to pay for at close to 20 Euros/Day. To us, this was basically false advertising and needs to be adjusted on the advertisements for this hotel.

Also, after 10 PM, the only staff on duty is a security guard from a 3rd party company. While he is friendly, he doesn't have the ability to handle any typical hotel requests during late night hours, which could be problematic if you have an issue during those hours.

However, the location of the hotel is excellent as it is within easy walking distance of all attractions in Verona. Verona as a city is also centrally located for day trips to Lake Garda, Vicenza, Padova and portions of the Dolomites.

This is a hotel we'd recommend, but if you are driving there, make sure you take the parking issues into account.

Hotel Al Piave

2011-11-08T17:15:00.000-05:00

When visiting Venice, there are a plethora of hotels to choose from. Some are cheap hostels that can be good for college students. Some are super expensive for the rich. If you're looking for one that is moderately priced (around $200/night), Hotel Al Piave is a top notch choice.

The hotel is centrally located, making it within easy walking distance of most places in Venice. When you first arrive in Venice either by public transit boat, shuttle boat or taxi boat, you'll need to get off at the S. Zaccaria landing, which is only a 5 minute walk from the hotel. The hotel provides easy walking directions from this dock on their site.

The hotel itself is very clean, with a friendly staff. They even let us use the dining area when it was closed to eat lunch we brought back to the hotel. In the mornings, a free full breakfast is provided. They also provide a free shuttle service to Murano at any time that is convenient for you.

While the hotel is centrally located and easily walkable from most tourist sites, it's on a quiet road so that you aren't bothered with the hustle and bustle like some of the hotels in Venice.

Another positive was a great air-conditioning system, which during the summer months is definitely needed.

Antica Bottega del Vino

2011-11-07T16:30:00.001-05:00

I had searched for recommendations for restaurants while we were in Italy. The one that kept repeating, on New York Times, in Frommers, in DK Eyewitness books, Trip Advisor...everywhere was Antica Bottega del Vino in Verona.

And, apparently, I wasn't the only one who found out about this lovely restaurant, tucked just off the main drag in Verona. The first night we stopped by this restaurant for dinner, every table was full! The next two nights (Sunday and Monday) the restaurant was closed. When we did finally get to eat dinner here, we got here shortly after they opened, and still had to sit by the bar as all the tables were reserved for dinner. (They were telling people it was a 45 minute wait for a table!)

Sitting in the bar area wasn't a problem - we actually enjoyed it. Locals hang out here drinking wine and just talking. Also, you can watch the chef make appetizers and tapas, which I found fascinating.

We ordered the specials - pumpkin ravioli and noodles with duck sauce. Both were excellent and cooked perfectly. If you ask for the wine list, you're going to be handed a menu the size of a book! Order a local wine (clearly). We tried a wine from Soave (also the name of the wine) which was delicious.

Casa di Guiletta

2011-11-06T17:15:00.001-05:00

The city of Verona has made itself a tourist destination around Shakespeare enthusiasts, as well as lovers.

Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

Flocks of tourists making the pilgrimage to Verona to honor Juliet, stand on her balcony, write love letters to her, and walk through her family home.

You can enter the home, where it is sparsely decorated in items of the period, as well as a few women's dresses of the period.

Not your forte? Too many tourists? Head over to Tomba dei Guiletta, where the town has the church where Romeo and Juliet are said to have held their secret wedding ceremony, as well as the tomb that Juliet laid in.

Castel Di Bounconsiglio

2011-11-05T17:00:00.000-04:00

In the middle of downtown Trent is a castle. While it stands out among the clay topped homes and businesses, it definitely adds character to the town, and a lot of history.

The castle is the location the Council of Trent was held (whoa, flash back from history class, huh). It is also the most beautiful castle we toured while in Italy. Unlike many of the other castles, which were built at the top of mountains for military benefits and therefore very sparse and militaristic, Castel Di Bounconsiglio was beautifully decorated and clearly was a residence for someone of much wealth in the Austrian-Italian border area.

While many of the rooms have been turned into art gallery rooms and a story of items used during the time the castle was is use, we found the castle itself much more interesting.

Follow along the route on the guide map. While the map doesn't tell you what to expect in each room, it does give you information on the castle itself.

We were disappointed that this castle, while very interesting with its galleries, didn't talk about the Council of Trent at all.

That said, it is still very much worth the visit, especially if you have visited other castles, because this one is very different.

Torre Dell'Orologio Tour

2011-11-04T17:03:00.000-04:00

In the Piazza San Marco is the historic clock tower, called Torre Dell'Orologio. The clock face tells more than just the time, it also tells the location of the moon and the sun as the location of the moon in astrological signs. Pretty cool huh?

Well, you can also tour the inside of the clock tower by scheduling a Torre Dell'Orologio Tour ahead of time or heading to the Musei Civici Venezia at the far end of San Marco and purchasing a tour ticket there.

Tours are guided and are only held in English at certain hours on certain days (make sure you schedule one of those!).

San Marco - Piazza San Marco, Basilica dei San Marco and the Doge's Palace

2011-11-03T16:30:00.001-04:00

A must stop for all tourists in Venice is Piazza San Marco. It's a beautiful square, filled with open air restaurants, gelato stands, souvenir stands, a historical clock tower that you can tour, and it's surrounded by the Doge's Palace and the Basilica di San Marco.

However, because this is the must stop for every tourist in the city, including the day trippers on cruise liners, it can get crowded. And, if you want to tour the basilica or the Doge's Palace, you could be waiting in a very long line.

Also, the restaurants in this square are very pricey. Granted, you are paying for the location - in the square and right by the Grand Canal. And a few of them have live music and outdoor dining on nice days. However, if you walk a few blocks off of the Piazza in any direction, you'll find delicious restaurants at half the price - for both the entrees, drinks and seating charge.

If you want to tour the basilica, I recommend getting there early. We were there about half an hour before the basilica opened and the line was already forming.

Reserve a specialized tour for the Doge's Palace online before you head for your trip and you can skip the ticketing line in the piazza. We did the Secret Itineraries tour, which takes guests to areas that are normally off-limits in the palace, and was a very interesting tour, to boot.

Museo Storico Navale

2011-11-02T17:00:00.000-04:00

On the East side of Venice, far off the typical tourist path is the Arsenale, which is part of the Italian Navy. Right outside of this restricted area is the Museo Storico Navale, which allows visitors to get a glimpse into the history of the Italian Navy, both in terms of history and the equipment they have used.

Admission is only 3.10 Euros, which makes it quite affordable. Being away from the main tourist area also means there are less crowds to wade through. Another positive of this museum is by walking to it, it allows you to see a part of Venice where real Venetians live, which was a nice highlight of this visit.

The Guggenheim Collection

2011-11-01T16:30:00.001-04:00

Peggy Guggenheim was an art aficionado who built museums around the world to display pieces of art from her own private collection, as well as others. One of her top museums, and where she has her ashes resting, is in Venice in the Dorsoduro sestiere in an 18th century palazzo right on the Grand Canal.

The Peggy Guggenheim Collection contains works of all types from the 20th century. It has students from America brought in to help curate the museum as part of their education. As long as you're an art lover, this is a museum that will interest you. The size of its collection is modest, so it doesn't feel overwhelming on your trip.

Sirmione

2011-10-31T16:45:00.001-04:00

The lakes in Northern Italy are world famous, and none are as large as Lake Garda. While there is much to do all around the lake and plenty of towns to explore, the one sitting on the tiny peninsula on the south side of the lake is the most enticing.

The town of Sirmione as a sliver of a peninsula that juts out onto the lake. This quaint town has plenty of shopping, water activities and a nice pedestrian only area. In addition, the Rocca Scaligera is a classic castle located here, which you can climb to the top of to get gorgeous views of the lake and the town of Sirmione.

Sirmione is a short 30-40 minute drive from Verona, making it an ideal getaway for the day.

South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology - the Ice Man Museum

2011-10-30T16:30:00.001-04:00

It has now been 20 years since Ötzi was discovered near the Italy-Austria border. This "Ice Man" was very well preserved over the millenia after being alive over 5,000 years ago. Called by many as the missing link, this was an important discovery in our lifetime as it has helped scientists learn more about the evolution of man and what life was like back in his time.

The South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology is dedicated to this Ice Man, giving visitors a thorough understanding of his significance, as well as a look at the actual body, which is well preserved. This unique museum is the main attraction in Bolzano, which is also a city that comes with gorgeous views of the Dolomites. If you're in the area, I'd highly recommend checking out this museum, which will take under an hour to view.

Drury Inn and Suites New Orleans

2011-10-29T17:00:00.000-04:00

The Drury Inn & Suites in New Orleans was an absolute pleasure to stay in. Located on Poydras Street, it is quite close to the French Quarter, Museums and the Riverfront so that you can easily walk to all of these attractions. However, it is in a very quiet area making it a peaceful getaway from some of the noisier areas of the city.

The hotel's lobby is quite pleasing when you walk in, and the rooms are clean, spacious and comfortable. The staff was extremely friendly and the room rate comes with a free hot breakfast daily, in addition to a free "happy hour" with free alcohol every night from 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM, that also includes some basic foods such as hot dogs, potatoes, mac & cheese, corn chips and chicken tenders. They offer free wi-fi and have a rooftop whirlpool and swimming pool.

Their rates were also very reasonable, especially compared to other hotels in New Orleans. We'd highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting the city.

Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

2011-10-28T16:57:00.002-04:00

On a hot day, rainy day, or even a pleasant day when you just want to get out of the unrelenting New Orleans sun, the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas on the riverfront is a perfect location.

On the weekends, the destination can get packed full of families, however, but the tanks are large enough that you mostly won't notice them.

Sharks, sting rays, fishes of all shapes and sizes, sea horses and even penguins fill this Aquarium along the waterfront. The sea horse exhibit is beautifully done, tanks filled with both sea horses and magnificent fish of all colors.

There are two exhibits that the kiddos love, the otters and the penguins. Both the otters and the penguins were evacuated before Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and thusly saved.

The aquarium also has an IMAX theatre that shows educational films that you can purchase with your aquarium ticket, and regular, box office movies, as well. If the line for aquarium tickets is long, head into the IMAX ticket lobby, where you can purchase tickets into the aquarium from their air conditioned lobby with very little waiting.

The American Sector Restaurant

2011-10-27T15:55:00.002-04:00

It's rare to find a good restaurant inside a museum, much less a restaurant by a celebrity chef with good food at good prices, where you need to make a reservation, unless you don't mind sitting at the bar.

But that's exactly what you'll find at The American Sector, a restaurant within New Orleans' National World War II Museum.

The American Sector is a John Besh restaurant, a local who has opened a number of restaurants in New Orleans, and has been featured a number of times on the Food Network.

The American Sector takes American classics, from today and from the 1940's and gives them a southern, John Besh spin.

We tried the Perfect Pig Po'Boy, ham, shoulder and belly, with pickled veggies. Its a huge sandwich, so come hungry! However, our first bite into the sammie was right into a super fatty piece of the belly, not a super appetizing way to start a meal, and that chewy sensation stuck with us through the rest of the meal.

We also tried the local corned beef sandwich on rye bread, which was perfect. The corned beef was tender and cooked perfectly, with a cheese that complemented the beef without taking anything away from it. There was also a sauce on the sandwich that had us begging for more. (Seriously, I kept biting where there looked to be more sauce because I wanted as much of it as possible it was so good!)

Each entree was served with house made chips, which were delectable, and served in tin cans lined with newsprint. Very fitting!

During our meal, one of the waiters announced to the diners gathered that we had a WWII veteran joining them for lunch, which was a nice touch, both that they announced his presence and that he was there.

Cemetery/Voodoo Tour

2011-10-26T16:30:00.002-04:00

New Orleans is known for their unique above-ground cemeteries, which were designed to be this way due to the massive amounts of flooding the city gets. We took a tour through the St. Louis Cemetery #1 with the group Historic New Orleans Tours. The group met up at the Cafe Beignet on Royal Street and were given a brief history of New Orleans during the walk to the cemetery.

Once we reached the cemetery, the tour guide gave us a good overview of the cemetery's history and then showed us numerous specific graves and gave us the history behind them. This included the grave of Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo Priestess from the 19th century, which unfortunately had graffiti on it despite being re-painted only weeks earlier.

Another interesting grave was a pyramid shaped one (shown below) that is owned by Nicolas Cage to use as a burial spot for him and his family. It is symbolic of his American Treasure movies and the only gave that is not square.

After the cemetery tour, we were allowed to stop in at a gas station to get water and use the restroom. From there, we were taken to an Mardi Gras Indian gallery, which showed us beautiful Mardi Gras Indian costumes, that each take over a year to make. This is a very niche part of Mardi Gras that only some people of African descent practice and it makes it all the more intriguing.

From there, we went to a Voodoo temple to hear the Priestess speak and give "words of wisdom". This portion wasn't very interesting or entertaining as she was really just babbling on. However, getting to view her voodoo temple was at least something unique to see.

The tour was supposed to last 2 hours, but went to over 2 and a half hours, so be aware that this may occur if you're planning things for later in the day. Overall, for $20/person, it was well worth it.

Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World

2011-10-25T16:51:00.000-04:00

Mardi Gras. Its a celebration that needs no introduction or explanation. But have you ever thought about where all of those beautiful floats are designed and created?

Look no further than Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World in the Central Business District of New Orleans. Mardi Gras World is one of Blaine Kern's many warehouses of spare Mardi Gras props.

Your tour begins in a room with a small selection of float props and some donated Mardi Gras costumes guests can try on and take photos in and with for great photo memories. Before your tour begins, you'll enjoy some King Cake, a traditional cinnamon roll style cake eaten during carnival in New Orleans.

Then head out into the warehouse and see what's going on! We were lucky enough to watch as a designer worked on a candelabra for a 2012 Mardi Gras float. You'll also see familiar characters as Blaine Kern's works with Disney, Universal, Chick-fil-a and other famous brands.

While Mardi Gras World isn't a far walk from the French Quarter, located just beyond the Convention Center, you can catch the free shuttle that will pick you up from Convention Center Blvd. in front of Harrah's.

Pearl River Eco Tours

2011-10-24T16:54:00.001-04:00

When most people visit New Orleans, they never leave the city, which is a shame. The state of Louisiana has much to offer, including amazing swamps. We decided to do a Swamp Tour through Historic New Orleans Tours.

They picked us up in a central location on Decatur Street in the French Quarter in a nice van and during the 30 minute drive to the swamp, gave us a nice history of the city and what we saw during the drive, including a focus on Katrina's recovery and Lake Ponchatrain. The driver was very courteous and friendly throughout.

We arrived at our destination, the Pearl River Eco-Tour company, where we boarded a pontoon boat with about 20 other people and went through the Pearl River in this swamp. We got to see numerous alligators in their natural habitat and got to watch them eat as well. In addition we saw various beautiful species of birds, raccoons and interesting, unique plant life.

Beyond the wildlife, we also got to see homes where people live from the river that are only reachable by boat. This was a very unique look into how these "swamp folk" live. We also got to see some houses and boats that were destroyed by the devastation of Katrina.

After the tour, our van took us straight to our hotel in New Orleans to finish off a fantastic afternoon. For $49/person, this was an excellent tour and we'd highly recommend it to everyone!

Steamboat Natchez

2011-10-23T17:03:00.001-04:00

The Steamboat Natchez is the only true steamboat left in New Orleans for passengers to take a cruise on. The cruise leaves from the Riverfront area of New Orleans for an approximately 1-mile trip north of the port. They run multiple cruises throughout the day, but we decided to take the night time dinner cruise. During this cruise, you have two options for the time to eat dinner. You can eat at either 6 PM while the ship is still docked, or at 7:15 PM while the ship is at sail. We opted for the early dinner to allow us to enjoy the actual cruise more. The dinner food was decent, but nothing special.

During the cruise, you get a nice view of the New Orleans skyline from the Mississippi River. In addition, you get to enjoy the music of Dukes of Dixieland, who were phenomenal. This is a great way to experience New Orleans' Jazz and River history all in one.

Cafe Beignet vs. Cafe du Monde

2011-10-22T16:30:00.001-04:00

When in New Orleans, there are a number of items you must order and must eat. A beignet is on the must do list, but where to get one is as important as eating one before you leave you N'awlins.

There are two famous beignet cafes in New Orleans' French Quarter, and each has its own followers and own benefits.

The most famous, and oldest, is Cafe du Monde on Decatur St., with a large awning, small tables and powdered sugar everywhere. Stop in for coffee, cafe au lait and beignets. Order your coffee in a take home mug for just a little more than the price of coffee.

Cafe du Monde's beignets are light and airy and crispy on the outside and covered in powdered sugar.

On Royal Street and on Bourbon Street is Cafe Beignet. The Bourbon Street location has an excellent live jazz band during the day. They also serve lunch items at both locations including sandwiches and salads. At the Bourbon Street location there is a bar adjacent that serves beer and liquor.

Cafe Beignet's beignets are larger than Cafe du Monde's, but we found them heavier, denser beignets, and had a lot more powdered sugar on them. However, they also served other sweets, including pralines and chocolate turtles. (The pralines were delicious!)

Mid Atlantic Air Museum

2011-10-21T16:58:00.001-04:00

The Mid Atlantic Air Museum at the Reading Regional Airport gives visitors the opportunity to see planes from various eras. Included in the admission of $6/person is an expert who can give you information on any planes in the hangar bay, as well as on the tarmac.

The highlight of the museum is the Enola Gay, which was the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb during World War II in Hiroshima, Japan. Also, there are airshows that occur here during the year, so be sure to check their calendar to for an aerial delight.

Independence Seaport Museum

2011-10-20T16:30:00.002-04:00

On Penn's Landing, right where the ferry that connects Philadelphia to Camden docks, is the Independence Seaport Museum. On the first floor, the exhibit that stands out the most as you walk in is on the history of the Slinky, which was invented in Philadelphia. This section then goes on to show how various inventions in our life originated during the building of vessels and from sea-life in general, especially targeting Philadelphia's history.

Beyond this, plenty of boats and naval history abound in the museum, including a section where you can see people working on various sea-crafts. An art gallery also exists, which may be of interest to some.

Outside the museum, you also can board the USS Olympia, which first launched in 1892 and plays a key role in the history of the United States' navy all around the world.

Bronx Zoo

2011-09-09T17:00:00.001-04:00

When most people visit New York City, they usually stick to Manhattan. The Bronx isn't very well known as a tourist destination, and in all honestly, isn't exactly the best of neighborhoods. However, in the middle of it all is The Bronx Zoo, which is a gorgeous park in the middle of this urban center. For both locals and visitors to the city, it can be a pleasant experience. The amount of land is quite large for a city zoo, but isn't overwhelming.

While I thought the grounds were landscaped nicely, the main attraction of course are the animals. However, this is one area where I believe this zoo is lacking. The sheer amount of animals on display falls quite short of other famous zoos in America. In addition, the habitats were quite large for some small animals, which made it difficult to view them.

If you're in the area, this zoo can definitely be enjoyable and worth your time. However, from this visit, I'd be very hesitant to make the 2 hour drive again as the zoo just didn't offer anything special compared to other zoos for me.

One thing we did take advantage of, is on the first full weekend of each month, if you have a Bank of America debit or credit card, you can get into the zoo for free. At least then, you can't complain about the cost!

The Turkey Hill Experience

2011-08-25T15:59:00.000-04:00

Are you a fan of Turkey Hill ice cream? What about their iced teas? Well, if you answered yes and you live in Pennsylvania, a trip to the Turkey Hill Experience is a must.

The Turkey Hill Experience is located in Columbia, PA and for $11/person (no AAA discounts available), you can see how their ice cream and iced teas are made. You'll learn about the history of the company, as well as the history of ice cream and iced tea in general. There are a few Turkey Hill themed games and activities that will please both children and adults.

In addition, have a scoop or two of ice cream (on the house)! They give free samples of varying flavors of ice cream (and iced tea) throughout the day, and you aren't limited in how much you can eat. Whoopie Pie is a Creamery only flavor (and its yummy!) so definitely try it!

After experiencing the Experience, head down to the Creamery for a scoop of ice cream, or split an ice cream sundae. (Admission not necessary for entrance to the Creamery, so if you're in the area, swing by for a cold, delicious treat!)

William Penn Fire Tower

2011-08-08T16:30:00.002-04:00

A fun afternoon with kids can be spent, relatively cheaply by driving up Mt. Penn in Reading and touring both the Pagoda and the William Penn Fire Tower. To climb to the top of the Pagoda is only $1 per person and the Fire Tower is by donation. Both give you beautiful views of the city and neighboring communities.

At the Fire Tower, you'll find picnic tables, perfect for eating lunch in the afternoon, and behind, in front and around both sites are well maintained trails.

As you begin your climb up the Fire Tower, make sure to check out this inlay (you'll miss it if you don't look for it). It's towards the bottom of the stairs and above your head as you begin the climb. The coat of arms is that of William Penn.

The William Penn Fire Tower is only open on the third Saturday of each month from noon until 5 p.m.

Lucy the Elephant

2011-08-07T16:30:00.002-04:00

Lucy the Elephant is a 6-story elephant next to the beach in Margate City, NJ. For a nominal fee, visitors can climb the stairs into Lucy, passing by the original ticket booth (where tickets were sold for 10 cents!) and into the main part of Lucy's body.

Here, visitors get to watch a short documentary on the history of the elephant of the Jersey Shore, including the two other elephants, one in Cape May, NJ and one in Coney Island, NY. Lucy, the only remaining elephant, was built in 1881 and in 1976 was designated a National Historic Landmark.

From the documentary and the tour guides, visitors learn that Lucy was originally built to be a real estate office, then transformed into a summer home and was a tavern for a while (until she was nearly burnt down!).

While Lucy was moved down the block during her restoration, her eyes have seen the world change a great deal since 1881. Lucy looks out onto the Atlantic Ocean, at families and beach-goers, as she has done for the past 130 years. From the main room in Lucy, visitors can look out her eyes and see what she sees. Visitors can also look around at some of the original pieces to Lucy, as well as souvenirs and knick-knacks sold of Lucy.

Climbing further up the spiral staircase, the tour culminates atop Lucy's "howdah," an exact replica of her original. From the howdah, visitors get beautiful, sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean and Margate, as well as beautiful, panoramic views of neighboring Atlantic City.

Country Inn & Suites By Carlson - Williamsburg Historic

2011-07-30T16:30:00.000-04:00

In the Williamsburg area, there are numerous hotel choices for people with all different types of budgets. If you are looking at a moderately priced hotel (low $100/night), then the Country Inn & Suites by Carlson on Bypass Road is an excellent choice.

It is located only about 5 minutes from Colonial Williamsburg and about 10 minutes from the main attractions of Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. To reach the local Newport News/Williamsburg airport, it's a 30 minute drive.

The staff is extremely friendly, warm and welcoming. The breakfast they give as part of your room rate is pretty good, including both hot and cold choices. It feels almost like a large bed and breakfast.

The rooms are extremely clean and the bed is quite comfortable. The main lobby of the hotel is very inviting and even has a small library of books to take to read if you'd like. After a long day of doing touristy activities, there are even fresh baked Sugar, Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal cookies waiting for you at the front desk.

I'd definitely recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Williamsburg!

Blue Talon Bistro

2011-07-29T16:30:00.001-04:00

While walking around Colonial Williamsburg, we were looking for a place for lunch that had light fare and delicious food. Blue Talon Bistro was perfect - a menu with depth that suits every taste was exactly what we were looking for.

Not to mention their famous "Historic Tap Water." Ice cold and perfect on hot summer days.

We order the mac and cheese and the chopped salad. The mac and cheese was creamy, and made with Parmesan and cheddar and mixed so perfectly that made me want to swim in the cheese sauce. It was also served with a side of Virginia ham, which adds a nice saltiness to the dish that it was almost missing without it.

The chopped salad had so much going on that it almost needed more lettuce. However, the bacon and salami, plus spiced nuts with the house vinaigrette was delicious. I loved that the salad was huge, and would be a perfect lunch or dinner entree. I ate about half of it and was stuffed!

Colonial Williamsburg

2011-07-28T16:30:00.000-04:00

Are you a history buff? More specifically, are you a Revolutionary War buff? If the answer to these are yes, Colonial Williamsburg is a must-visit location. You'll begin your day at their visitor's center (with free parking). From here you can purchase your tickets (although, buying them online before hand will save you the wait) and visit the main gift shops. You can then take the shuttle bus to Colonial Williamsburg, which has multiple stops in the area.

Once in town, you're magically transported back to the 18th century, at which time Williamsburg was the capitol of Virginia and a thriving city. The city has been reconstructed (with some of the buildings being original) to what it was like in the 1700's. While it is free to roam about, in order to enter any of the buildings, you did need to pay. When you enter the buildings, some feature just one person with a story to tell about their building and are there to answer any questions you may have.

For some other buildings, such as the Governer's Palace and the original Capitol Building, you're made to feel as if you are from the 18th century as your tour guide leads you around the building on a typical day in the life of its former tennants.

We had a great time here and enjoyed learning about one of the most important areas in our nation's history. One full day here should allow you to do everything, and there are even activities for children to help keep them entertained.

If you're planning on visiting Busch Gardens and Water Country USA as well, get the Bounce Pass, which for about $100/person, gets you into all three with unlimited access for a week.

Gabriel Archer Tavern at Williamsburg Winery

2011-07-27T16:30:00.000-04:00

Off the Williamsburg Colonial Parkway is the Williamsburg Winery, home to the Gabriel Archer Tavern. Thi soff the beaten path restaurant is quaint with out door seating, as well as indoor. The outdoor seating is under a patio surrounded by a thick vine cover, blocking out damaging sun rays while still allowing in the light.

On the drive into the restaurant, you have to drive past the vineyards, a beautiful drive down a small lane to the winery, tavern and Cafe Provencal.

We ordered the Chicken Piccata and the ham steak. Both were cooked perfectly and all entrees are served with a seasonal vegetable, we had roasted potatoes and fresh green beans.

The chicken piccata was incredibly tender and the sauce was the best piccata sauce I had ever had. I wanted everything in the sauce: potatoes, green beans, we even tried dipping the ham in the sauce.

The ham steak was nice and thick, without being too much. There were cider glazed apple slices served on top, and a cinnamon, apple, wine sauce on the ham. The sauces was spiced perfectly with enough flavor to pair with the ham without over powering the ham.

Busch Gardens, Williamsburg

2011-07-26T16:30:00.000-04:00

There are plenty of theme parks that feature unique roller coasters all around the country for Thrill Seekers. Most of these also offer other forms of entertainment such as shows for the adults who prefer things more tame and children's rides for families. In the Mid-Atlantic region, Busch Gardens Williamsburg (a.k.a. Busch Gardens Europe) provides all of these and is probably the best known.

We spent our July 4th holiday here and expected it to be quite crowded due to most people having the day off, but to our surprise, the park wasn't really too full, especially the first half of the day. For every ride we went on, we walked right on to it and didn't have to wait in a single line. In general this is great, but we did pre-purchase the "Quick Queue" for $20/person that would've allowed us to skip lines. This ended up being a waste of money since there were no lines to skip, so I'd recommend passing on this option when purchasing your ticket.

The rides themselves were fun. Our favorite was probably the Griffon which contained a 90-degree drop to start out the ride. Another highlight was the Curse of DarKastle, which rode you through a castle featuring a sinister man trying to attack you with 3D visuals. It got so frightening for one little girl in our "car" that she was hysterically crying by the end.

We definitely had a good time at Busch Gardens. However, it is a place that you can go just once, have fun, and not need to return . When buying a pass, also consider the Bounce Pass, which will get you in to Busch Gardens, Water Country USA and Colonial Williamsburg for just over $100/person.

Water Country USA

2011-07-25T16:30:00.000-04:00

Water Country USA is a huge water park in Williamsburg, VA. If you enjoy spending your day splashing down into the water with some thrills, this is the place to be. The lines here were longer than the ones we saw at Busch Gardens down the road, but you can still easily do all the rides in one day and have plenty of time to spare.

We definitely had a good time at this park. However, all visitors should be aware that there are no non-water rides. So if you don't like getting wet, this is not the place to go.

The general ticket price of $47 is a bit high. However, if you're visiting Williamsburg, you can also get the Bounce Pass, which will get you into Water Country USA, Busch Gardens and Colonial Williamsburg all for about $100/person.

Das Festhaus, Busch Gardens

2011-07-24T16:30:00.000-04:00

When visiting Busch Gardens, there are plenty of places to eat. Das Festhaus in Oktoberfest has something for everyone, including the "This is Oktoberfest" show during lunch and dinner hours, the human coo-coo-clock outside and the Maypole dancing in front of the building.

Dining options vary greatly, from sandwiches, to ribs, to a sausage sampler and even the Farmer's Feast.

We were going to order two separate platters, then saw the size of the platters that were being served and decided to split the Farmer's Feast: sausage, ribs, 1/4 chicken, cheesy hashbrowns served with a fresh roll. That's A LOT of food! And perfect to split between two people.

We also ordered the chocolate torte cake - a slice of cake perfect for three to four people. A light and fluffy chocolate cake layered between whipped cream icing and topped with a cherry. Surprisingly, this huge slice of cake was only a few cents more than the smaller slices and delicious. (And, admittedly, made for more than two people, we were not able to finish it!)

Das Festhaus also serves many, many beers (mostly Busch brands), both on the tap and by the bottle. A better selection can be found in the back lines.

King's Arms Tavern

2011-07-23T16:30:00.000-04:00

If you are exploring Colonial Williamsburg and need a place to eat lunch or dinner, make a stop at King's Arms Tavern (best make reservations, though).

With most of the menu dating from the 1800s or the original menu of the tavern.

We ordered the pork chop (shoat) and the beef tenderloin. Both were very good and served with seasonal vegetables.

On the very, very hot summer day we were visiting Colonial Williamsburg, something cold and refreshing to drink. The wine cooler - made with lemonade and raspberry wine served over ice, was the perfect refreshment. Ice cold, refreshing, delicious.

This is Oktoberfest

2011-07-22T16:30:00.000-04:00

Maypole Dancing at Busch Gardens Oktoberfest

2011-07-21T16:30:00.001-04:00

Practicing marching at Colonial Williamsburg

2011-07-20T16:30:00.000-04:00

Big Daddy Falls at Water Country USA

2011-07-19T16:30:00.001-04:00

Sofitel Minneapolis

2011-07-18T16:30:00.000-04:00

The Sofitel Minneapolis is a perfect hotel for anyone visiting the Twin Cities who wants to avoid the over-priced hotels in Minneapolis. The hotel is about a 15 minute drive from Minneapolis and 25 minutes from St. Paul, making it easy to get to the cities. However, the hotel is usually almost half the price of the inner-city counterparts.

Located right on the edge of Bloomington, MN, the Sofitel looks a little plain from the outside. However, once you enter the front door, you'll gaze at the open-air lobby with amazement. The French-chain hotel did an outstanding job of creating an ambiance to make guests feel welcome and feel like they are staying in a luxurious hotel.

The front desk staff is quite friendly and greets everyone with a "Bonjour!". Once we reached our room, we found it extremely clean. The bathroom was quite nice with a glass door shower and as soon as you laid down on the bed, you didn't want to get up.

I'd highly recommend this hotel to anyone who is visiting the Twin Cities or the Mall of America!

Rice Park

2011-07-17T16:30:00.000-04:00

Charles Schultz, the creator of the infamous Peanuts comic strip and its characters, was born in Minneapolis in 1922 and grew up across the river in St. Paul. As one of the Twin Cities most famous sons, statues of his creations were erected in Rice Park in downtown St. Paul in the early 2000's.

This small park, has the Peanuts characters in some of their most famous poses in bronze. Snoopy, Woodstock, Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and more are all here to get their picture taken with you, and it's free to do.

If your a fan of Peanuts, you should definitely make a quick stop here when in the region and say hi to your favorite one. You never know...they may talk back!

Lake Calhoun

2011-07-16T16:30:00.000-04:00

Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes. When visiting the state, it would be a shame to not spend at least some time at them. There are numerous ones to choose from, but right outside the hustle and bustle of Minneapolis is Lake Calhoun, which has a very relaxing feel to it.

This lake has a path around the whole lake for walking or cycling. In addition, with its marina, you can take a boat out onto the lake to just sail around or to go fishing. For our short stay, we decided to rent a Paddleboat from Wheel Fun Rentals. They are located right off the main road next to the marina. They don't have their own parking lot, but finding a spot on the street shouldn't prove too challenging.

With our paddleboat in hand, we were able to enjoy a relaxing hour paddling around the lake taking in the various views and were able to witness various baby ducks on the pond. It is a great way to spend a beautiful afternoon in the Twin Cities. In addition to the paddleboats, they also rent out kayaks, canoes and bicycles.

"Damn Good Food" at Hell's Kitchen

2011-07-15T16:30:00.000-04:00

Hell's Kitchen in downtown Minneapolis grabbed my attention because, well, first of the name and then the sausage toast on the menu. That's right, sausage bread. As per their website, "a deliciously dense bread made with our own homemade bison sausage, toasted walnuts, black currants, black coffee and spices. Try it...those who do usually love it enough to order an entire loaf to take home." It's served with whipped butter as well as house made peanut butter, apricot jelly and blackberry jelly. This is delicious. Seriously. Yummy.

As Hell's Kitchen was bringing breakfast back to the Twin Cities, we clearly had to try their breakfast offerings. So we ordered the Classic All-American Breakfast, two eggs, hash browns and your choice of maple-glazed bison sausage, thick-sliced bacon, or a slab of slow-roasted pit ham. I ordered the pit ham, and was very happy I did! Yum!

We also ordered the baked penne in creamy garlic sauce, topped with mozzarella cheese and chicken. Very yummy. (You can add sausage or shrimp if you prefer.)

Aster Cafe

2011-07-14T16:30:00.000-04:00

Walking down Main Street along the waterfront in Minneapolis, there are many dining options to choose from. Aster Cafe has charming outdoor dining and is dog friendly. Make sure to ask for a table on the patio, it has beautiful views and it's great for people watching.

We ordered the roast beef, roasted red pepper, mozzarella sandwich, served on a brioche bun, which was moist and a delicious combination and perfect on a warm summer afternoon and served with chips.

We also ordered the chorizo, queso fresco, potato, chimichurri flatbread pizza. The flatbread was an interesting combination. Potatoes on a pizza was a delicious surprise (admittedly, we were skeptical and curious going into this one).

The Main Cafe on Main Street in Stillwater

2011-07-13T16:30:00.000-04:00

Walking down the main street in Stillwater, MN, we were looking for breakfast and with few options open early in the morning, we found our way into the Main Cafe. This great little spot is a hit with the locals (while we were dining, a local police officer, and at least two other locals were also eating breakfast).

We ordered their seasonal special, the strawberry chocolate chip pancakes. The chef makes the pancake batter fresh every morning and mixes in the perfect amount of chocolate chips. The pancakes are fluffy and sweet and topped with super fresh, sweet strawberries that the chef has left untouched.

We also ordered the daily special of two eggs, two bacon strips, hash browns and toast, which was exactly what you would expect from a home cooking cafe on the main drag in town. Everything was cooked perfectly and there was way more there than we could possibly eat. But everything was delicious and our waitress, the only waitress for the entire restaurant, was pleasant and answered questions as well as chatted with us.

Walker Sculpture Garden

2011-07-12T16:30:00.000-04:00

Take some time out of your trip or your day to visit the Walker Sculpture Garden, where you'll find the famed Spoonbridge and Cherry, among other works. Here is also the Alene Grossman Memorial Arbor and Flower Garden, which is a beautiful walk.

Take your time walking through the gardens and take in all of the pieces. If its a nice day, take a picnic lunch with you.

Wabasha Street Caves

2011-07-11T16:30:00.000-04:00

A local hidden gem of St. Paul, the Wabasha Street Caves gives visitors a unique view into the history of the city, especially focusing on the history of nefarious gangsters. Originally used to house a mushroom farm, by the 1920's the caves became a speakeasy during the period of Prohibition in America. Infamous gangsters, such as John Dillinger, were regular customers.

Over the years, the caves have changed purposes ranging from just storage to a disco. Today, in addition to giving historic tours, as well as ghost tours, the caves can be rented out for private parties. The tour guides are very informative and give various stories of the history and myths of the caves.

The cost of the attraction is only $6/person and is well worth your time. They only give tours a few times a week, so be sure to check their schedule at www.wabashastreetcaves.com to ensure you figure out the best time for you. Also, it's cash only, so make sure you have it with you as you don't want to miss out on this while searching for an ATM.

Sea Life Aquarium

2011-07-10T16:30:00.000-04:00

How many people can say they have an Aquarium located in their local mall? Unless you live in the Twin Cities, you probably can't. At the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN, in the basement is the Sea Life Aquarium.

Originally built in 1996, you'll get various exhibits with your entrance fee. You'll be able to walk through a world of Jellyfish as well as a "tunnel" to make you feel as if you're in the water with the creatures. In here, you'll see various sharks, sea turtles and numerous types fish and other sea life.

If visiting both the Aquarium and Nickelodeon Universe in the mall, you should definitely get the combination pass that is offered to save you some money. This is an aquarium worth seeing, so if you happen to find yourself at the Mall of America, take a visit.

Nickelodeon Universe

2011-07-09T16:30:00.000-04:00

When most Americans think of the Twin Cities, one attraction usually comes to mind, the Mall of America, which is right outside of the cities in Bloomington, MN. In the very center of the mall is an amusement park, Nickelodeon Universe, which features various rides in the theme of different Nickelodeon shows and characters.

There are various pricing structures for admission to use the park's rides, but the one I'd recommend is the unlimited ride pass. Otherwise, unless you are only doing one or two rides, you won't be getting your money's worth. The other option is the combination pass with the SeaLife Aquarium in the basement of the mall. If you're planning on visiting the aquarium, it's best to get the combo pass.

The rides are much more tame than most theme parks, but the indoor nature of it makes it quite unique. The "Pepsi Orange Streak" allows you to ride around the entire park area, giving you a nice view of the park and the mall. The "Fairly Odd Coaster" was my personal favorite as the spinning nature of it was very different than any other roller coaster I've been on before.

Mall of America

2011-07-08T16:30:00.001-04:00

If visiting Minneapolis, a must visit is the Mall of America. While the mall itself is like any other mall, except with mall gift shops, there is an aquarium in the basement and an amusement park in the center.

Part of the third floor is called South Street, dedicated to high class restaurants, and it looks like your walking down a neighborhood street.

If you're a Twins fan, or a Vikings fan, there are lots of shops to find jerseys, t-shirts and paraphernalia.

CRAVE, Mall of America

2011-07-07T16:30:00.006-04:00

Along South Street in the Mall of America is CRAVE, a local chain that has expanded by the want of locals. The chic atmosphere and variety of the menu makes CRAVE the perfect choice for dining that will please everyone in your party.

When we sat down, we were handed the regular menu, a sushi menu, the wine list, and Monday's are burger night, so there was a burger and shake menu on the table, also.

We ordered the special 1881 Sirloin steak, wrapped in bacon and topped with slabs of herb butter and served with mashed potatoes and asparagus. The sauce, the butter, and the potatoes, were delicious. The steak was cooked perfectly. And, well, its wrapped in bacon. What more can one ask for?

We also ordered the roasted chicken and penne (without the goat cheese). Again, the chef nailed the sauce, it perfectly complimented the dish, and the taste of the pine nuts brightened the dish without making it heavy or adding an additional, unnecessary flavor.

Historic Fort Snelling

2011-07-06T17:14:00.001-04:00

Nestled away near the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport is Historic Fort Snelling right on the Mississippi River. The fort was originally built in the 1820's and held its status as an important American fort all the way through World War II. For the weekend we went, it was World War II weekend, so the staff was all dressed in that era's uniforms and told stories of what the fort's purpose was during the time.

There was also a rifle and gun demonstration with various types of guns being fired with live ammunition on the grounds. This was done with top-notch safety standards to ensure all spectators weren't in any danger. There were single bullet rifles fired along with machine guns which pleased the crowd, especially the children.

All in all, it was an enjoyable day at Fort Snelling and for anyone with an interest in American war history, it's definitely worth a visit. You never know what you may learn. One thing we learned was that many of the German POW's that were brought back to America were brought here. Because they liked the region so much, many chose to stay rather than be brought back to Germany.

Black Forest Inn

2011-07-05T16:30:00.002-04:00

If you're looking for something different for dinner, try Minneapolis's Black Forest Inn, serving German inspired dishes. The restaurant is decorated in an old world German style, with paintings, and more.

We ordered the Paprika Schnitzel (top), which was a pork chop coated in a sauce with meat and bacon and served with spaetzel, a German tradition. It was so good. The sauce mixed nicely with the spaetzel as well with the pork chop itself.

We also ordered the Wiener Schnitzel, which is veal, breaded and pan fried and served with spaetzel and brightens up with a spritz on lemon.

Black Forest Inn also serves traditional German beers, including seasonal beers. I ordered the Sünner Kölsch, a beer from Cologne, Germany that is light but is not an ale or a lager but is cold brewed like a lager. It's bubbly and refreshing and perfect for summer.

For dessert we ordered the Black Forest Torte, a light and fluffy chocolate cake with a light icing and cream cheese icing filling with cherries that was the perfect ending to a unique dinner.

Everything at Black Forest Inn was delicious and it was much more low key than other restaurants in Minneapolis. There is also outdoor seating and a bar available.

Pick-Your-Own at Johnson's Corner Farm

2011-07-04T16:30:00.002-04:00

Johnson's Corner Farm, in Medford, NJ, is a fun pick-your-own farm that is more than just a pick-your-own farm. The hayride to the various fields is a lot of fun in itself! For the kids there is a Discovery Barnyard, where children can climb on climbing rocks, in a space net and more. There is also a petting zoo.

The pick-your-own farm starts the season with strawberries in early spring and goes through Halloween with pick your own pumpkins. Throughout the year you can pick your own blueberries, sweet corn, apples, peaches and more.

The farm market store sells fresh produce and home made baked goods (if you walk towards the rest rooms, you can smell them in the kitchen), and cider donuts. As well as crafts and home goods, jellies, jams, canned fruits and more.

Disney's Yacht Club Resort

2011-07-03T16:30:00.004-04:00

When staying at Disney World, there are numerous options of hotels to stay at. You can easily filter out many hotels based on the price you're willing to spend. If you're someone who is willing to pay a decent amount of money for your room, then Disney's Yacht Club is definitely a prime choice.

From the moment you pull up, you're greeted by a host and all of a sudden everyone else you meet along the way knows your name. Inside the hotel, you're greeted by the Captain of the club, dressed in full uniform. The staff is extremely friendly and welcoming.

When you get up to your room, you'll find plenty of Mickey Mouse related items, such as the towels on the bed shown below. The Yacht Club theme is very prevalent throughout the room, as well as the hotel itself, and is very charming. The rooms are spacious, clean and have extremely comfortable beds.

Outside, the hotel shares a swimming pool area with the Beach Club Resort, which features a slide coming off a "crashed" Pirate ship, which is something children will love. There are activities in the pool area going on all the time, from sing-a-longs to movies on the "beach".

The hotel is also located across the lagoon from Disney's Boardwalk, making it easy to reach this area either by foot or boat. In addition, you can take this boat to the back entrance of EPCOT center for a quick way into the park in the International section.

If you have the money for it, this hotel is definitely worth your patronage on a visit to Disney World!

Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Lake Buena Vista, A Sky Resort

2011-07-02T16:30:00.002-04:00

Hotel Review of Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Lake Buena Vista, A Sky Resort

We only got to spend one night at this hotel, but even in less than 24 hours, they people at the front desk managed to make this a negative stay. Let me first start with the positives. The hotel is very easy to reach from Disney World, especially Downtown Disney. The hotel lobby is simple, but inviting and clean, as is the rest of the hotel. And, that about ends the positives.

The rooms are quite small and cramped. For an area rich in hotel rooms, you can easily find a more comfortable room for less money. In addition, in the bathroom, the sink has no space to place any items on, which is quite annoying.

The biggest issue we ran into though was with the service. When we went to use the toilet, we discovered that it was clogged and needed to be fixed. I tried calling down to the Front Desk, but there was no answer after several rings. I went straight down there instead and asked that someone come and fix the toilet, but they said that maintenance and housekeeping weren't on duty for another few hours so no one could fix it.

Plenty of staff were at the hotel, so someone should have come and taken care of this. The most they offered me was a plunger to fix it myself. This was a completely unacceptable answer for a hotel to give. In the hospitality industry, asking a guest to plunge a toilet is a big problem with your service. The front desk refused to do anything about this.

As we were checking out in about an hour at this point, there wasn't too much recourse for us except contacting Wyndham directly. After I contacted Wyndham via their website, they did get back to me about a week later with an offer of a $75 refund to be delivered to me, which was received after about another week. I'm glad that Wyndham did provide this compensation, but they didn't address the need to re-train their front desk staff on how to deal with these situations.

In addition to this major issue, they also did manage to "lose" our reservation and we had to jump through a few hoops to get them to find it. Due to this, I believe it is best to avoid this hotel and use one of the numerous other hotels in the Disney World area.

6-ft. Waves at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon

2011-07-01T17:02:00.001-04:00

Gang Plank Falls at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon (video)

2011-06-30T17:22:00.000-04:00

The Trip Down Summit Plummet at Typhoon Lagoon

2011-06-29T21:17:00.001-04:00

Portobello

2011-06-28T18:34:00.001-04:00

Downtown Disney's Portobello is a nice hidden gem. It's tucked into a corner and a little bit out of sight, and the food and service is amazing, to boot. If it's a nice night out, ask for a table on the patio, the view is amazing. In the evenings, the lights reflecting off the lagoon are beautiful and you can watch the boats go between the hotels and Downtown Disney.

We ordered their value special: soup, entree and gelato. If you're looking for a full meal, this is definitely the way to go. We ordered the spaghetti pomodoro with meatballs (meatballs are an additional charge, but worth the price) and the tomato bisque soup (which was topped with shaved Parmesan cheese - yum!). The spaghetti had perfect sauce and the noodles were cooked perfectly.

We also ordered the grilled pork chop on top of polenta with Florida sweet peppers. The polenta was like grown up mashed potatoes, I couldn't get enough! And the pork chop was cooked perfectly - it fell right off the bone and melted in your mouth. The whole plate was delicious.

Garden Grove Restaurant

2011-06-27T19:56:00.001-04:00

The Garden Grove Restaurant, located in Disney's Swan Resort, has been decorated to make diners feel like they are in a garden, with a tree in the middle of the restaurant and, if you are there in the early evening or later, after the sun has started to set, the lights in the tree begin to light and twinkle, giving the garden a magical feel.

The Garden Grove also has character dining at dinner time, and themed dining each night of the week. Characters change throughout the week, with Goofy and Pluto being one set of characters.

While the setting is beautiful, the food choices are not the greatest. The selection is small and what we had was either under cooked or over cooked. However, the dessert options were delightful, and a much larger selection than the dinner buffet. The brownies even has Swan and Dolphin on them in gold writing, which was a nice touch.

Cat Cora's Kouzzina

2011-06-26T18:27:00.001-04:00

Cat Cora's Kouzzina on the Boardwalk at Disney is a delicious restaurant in WDW. Unfortunately, everyone knows it and it books up very, very quickly, so make reservations early! And, if you can, make your reservations for when they open (5 p.m.) and get there a little early. Before they open the doors to seat diners, all of the servers, chefs, and staff go outside and do an opening cheer. Definitely walk outside and witness this, as it's definitely fun and interesting!

Also, ask for a seat by the kitchen. The kitchen is completely open, so you can watch the chefs work, and even prepare your own meal. Its fun to watch as the chefs prepare the meals. As they start fires on the cook top, one chef will yell "forte!" (Greek for fire) and every other chef will subsequently yell Opa!

We ordered the oak-fired pork tenderloin, which was moist and had this crust from being grilled that was incredibly flavorful! It's served with zucchini cornbread, an interesting cornbread that was sweet and tangy and paired nicely.

We also ordered the slow cooked lamb shank, which was fall off the bone and cooked perfectly.

Top everything off with the delicious pomegranate splash, sweet, fruity and candy-like. (Super yummy.)

Doubletree Fallsview Resort & Spa, Niagara Falls - Hotel Review

2011-06-25T16:10:00.000-04:00

The Doubletree Fallsview Resort & Spa in Niagara Falls, Canada is a perfect spot to spend your vacation in Niagara Falls. While it is a little further away from the main tourist area than some of the other 4-star hotels in the area, it takes only about 10 minutes maximum to walk down to the falls from the hotel. Even from that distance, if you have a room on one of the upper floors, you'll still get a nice view of the American Falls from your room, which is quite a nice sight to see when waking up in the morning.

The walk to the main tourist area either walks past gift shops and eateries or through a beautiful park and into the area that houses the Niagara Falls Skywheel. Both enjoyable walks.

The room itself is a standard 4-star quality room with comfortable beds and well-maintained by the housekeeping staff. In our interactions with the front desk staff they were quite friendly and more than willing to continually give you free chocolate chip cookies throughout your stay. The lobby has a lodge-like feel and is warm and inviting. There is even a small art gallery open to the public on the first floor.

We did spend some time in the hot tub. The pool facilities were clean and the hot tub worked wonderfully. Parking in front of the hotel was ample and was $12/day, which was reasonable compared to other locations in the Falls area.

I'd definitely recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Niagara Falls and would stay there again.

Mackenzie Heritage Printing Museum

2011-06-24T21:39:00.000-04:00

On the drive from Niagara Falls to Niagara-on-the-Lake, make sure to make a stop at the Mackenzie Heritage Printing Museum. This restored home was the home of rebel newspaper publisher William Lyon Mackenzie.

The museum is very hands on, with one of the world's only remaining wooden printing presses on display, a working linotype machine, and a working press that visitors are encouraged to use to help make a poster.

While making the poster, visitors are also taught how to line type and learn the origin of why we call it "upper case" and "lower case."

Our tour guide also gave us some Canadian history and while we were touring the printing museum, other presses were being used to make posters and flyers.

This small museum is very interesting and intriguing; make sure this is one of your stops while you're visiting Niagara Falls. Teaching children, and yourself, about the history of Canada, Canada's newspaper history, and the history of printing, is made fun!

Skylon Tower

2011-06-23T14:58:00.000-04:00

We chose to have dinner at the Skylon revolving restaurant for a number of reasons. Number one, it has the best bird's eye view of Niagara Falls and you get a free trip to the observation deck with dinner. Second, those little yellow bugs that go up and down are so cute! And third, the menu looked amazing!

They do an early dinner that has sittings at 4:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. with a prefixe menu that is offered all year. The prefixe menu includes a house salad, an entree and chocolate mousse.

During your dinner the restaurant rotates so you can see the falls from a birds eye view, as well as the town. The restaurant rotates about one full rotation an hour. As you spin, there are great little factoids on the side that tells you about what you are seeing, either past or present.

After dinner, head up to the observation decks to see the area again and take some photos, sans glass. The wait staff at the restaurant is very friendly and is more than willing to take photos of your group together if you ask.

Niagara Adventure Pass

2011-06-22T18:32:00.000-04:00

The Niagara Adventure Pass is a great way for tourists visiting Niagara Falls to save some money during their stay. For C$44.95 (plus tax) you'll be able to get a combined admission pass to the Maid of the Mist, Journey Behind The Falls, White Water Walk and Niagara's Fury. In addition, you'll get unlimited access to the Niagara People Mover bus to get you to and from every attraction. If you're planning on hitting up these attractions anyway, getting this pass in a no-brainer. It can be bought both online at the link above, or at any of the attractions or Visitor's Centers around Niagara Falls.

Whirlpool Aero Car

2011-06-21T17:53:00.000-04:00

Everyone comes to Niagara Falls to see the waterfalls, but how many people know that further up the river is a whirlpool? Back in the early 1900's, this "aero car" was developed to allow visitors to get a bird's eye view of this phenomenon.

While it isn't quite what I expected from seeing whirlpools in movies, it is still a sight that should be seen by anyone who makes a trip all the way to the Niagara region. It is also easily reachable by the People Mover bus from the main Niagara Falls tourist area.

If you're someone who is scared of heights though, be forewarned that you may get a little queasy up here. But be assured, this is perfectly safe and offers a nice view of the whirlpool.

White Water Walk

2011-06-20T18:37:00.001-04:00

A couple of miles north of Niagara Falls is the White Water Walk (which can easily be reached by the People Mover bus that runs throughout the day through Niagara Parks). Many people come to Niagara Falls to see the falls, but most don't realize that there are some extreme white water rapids further north on the river.

These rapids are extremely dangerous to anyone who chooses to try and venture riding them, and many have died trying (hence, it isn't legally allowed anymore). However, there is a pathway set up that you can enter to walk right next to the rapids to at least partially experience their power. To get there, you'll take an elevator down from the main road and have the ability to walk a quarter of a mile next to the rapids.

If you're considering doing this attraction as well as the other popular ones in the area, I'd highly recommend getting the Niagara Falls Adventure Pass to save a few bucks. It combines the price of this attraction, the Maid of the Mist, the Journey Behind The Falls and Niagara's Fury all into one.

Maid Of The Mist

2011-06-19T21:13:00.001-04:00

If there is one attraction that everyone knows of in Niagara Falls, it's the Maid of the Mist. For over 100 years they have been taking daring travelers as close to falls as is safely allowed. While long lines form to board the boat, the boat holds hundreds of people, so the line moves fast. Be sure before you board that you secure your camera in some type of waterproofing as you will get soaked!

Once on board, try to get to the starboard (or right) side of the boat to get the closest and best view of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Most people intuitively try to avoid this side as you start off with the opposite side facing the American Falls, so it should be easy to secure a spot.

Not much else can be said about this boat ride in words, but from the pictures below, you'll see why it's well worth taking your time to do.

If you're considering doing this attraction as well as the other popular ones in the area, I'd highly recommend getting the Niagara Falls Adventure Pass to save a few bucks. It combines the price of this attraction, the Journey Behind The Falls, the White Water Walk and Niagara's Fury all into one.

Niagara's Fury

2011-06-18T20:59:00.001-04:00

Right near the Canadian Horseshoe Falls is Table Rock, which is the main tourist building for all things Niagara Falls related. In the building itself, a new attraction built in 2008 allows visitors to "experience" the creation of Niagara Falls.

To start the show, you'll meet some woodland characters who teach you in a humorous way how Niagara Falls was created started in the last Ice Age. From there, you'll walk into a 360 degree theater where you witness the creation of the falls reduced to a few minutes. You'll feel the wind, power and water during the show and a poncho is definitely needed (and freely provided!).

We really didn't know what to expect heading into this unique experience, but we came out of it with smiles on our face and our ponchos thoroughly drenched!

If you're considering doing this attraction as well as the other popular ones in the area, I'd highly recommend getting the Niagara Falls Adventure Pass to save a few bucks. It combines the price of this attraction, the Maid of the Mist, the White Water Walk and Journey Behind The Falls all into one.

Journey Behind The Falls

2011-06-17T21:47:00.001-04:00

Want to experience the true power of Niagara Falls? Well, this is about as close as you can get. The "Journey Behind The Falls" attraction allows you to enter into caves with exits that go right behind the falls. The sheer power you'll feel is quite extraordinary. However, the best views are had when you walk just to the side of the falls.

From here, you'll get a great view, as shown below, of the Canadian Horseshoe falls. From the second you exit the doorway, you'll feel the mist hitting you, and as you get closer to the falls, it'll feel more like you're in a storm than anything else.

The free ponchos that are provided are a must-need (unless you want to get soaked). You should also make sure you take either a water proof camera or secure it in a way so that it won't get wet if you want to continue taking photos on your trip.

Niagara Falls Viewing

2011-06-16T15:18:00.000-04:00

While there are plenty of things to do in the Niagara Falls region, almost everyone comes for one simple reason...the Falls! The largest waterfalls in North America are here and they are a spectacular site.

While you can get a half-decent view from the American side of the falls, it's the Canadian side that will really open up your eyes. Viewing the American Falls from Canada shows them very majestically, especially at night when they are all lit up in various colors.

During the day, the falls also look breathtaking. However, it should be noted that on a foggy day, they can be difficult to see, so hopefully your trip there won't coincide with fog. Walking along the park, you'll get various views of the Falls and you can probably spend all day doing this if you love seeing nature at its best.

In addition to the American Falls, there are the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, which are much larger. The view to them can be slightly obscured by the mist surrounding them due to their crashing into the Niagara River, but nonetheless, they are still a wonderful sight. In addition, when you get even relatively close to them, you'll start feeling the mist they cause.